Project Summary
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Translation Center provides support for PCORI’s commitment to assure that the research findings we release are comprehensible and useful to patients, clinicians, and others in making healthcare decisions.
Under contract to PCORI, the Translation Center prepares summaries of findings from each of PCORI’s studies once the findings have been peer-reviewed. Two summaries, one for the general public and one for healthcare professionals, present results in clear language that has been tested with each audience. PCORI posts these summaries to PCORI.org within 90 days after accepting the final results of the study, as required by our authorizing law.
The Translation Center has developed standard and consistent formats for the public and professional summaries of PCORI findings. As described in PCORI’s authorizing law, these materials must include considerations specific to certain subpopulations, risk factors, and comorbidities; describe research methods and limitations; and identify what further research may be needed. Under PCORI’s direction, the Translation Center prepares other materials for PCORI, including Spanish translations of the public summaries and summaries of in-progress research projects.
In addition, the Translation Center supports PCORI’s efforts to disseminate findings from specific PCORI-funded studies through professional medical societies and patient and community-based organizations. The Translation Center combines contextual information and findings from these studies or systematic reviews in brief and concise Evidence Updates for a variety of audiences, including clinicians and consumers. These updates can be distributed through interested organizations to inform their constituents.
The Translation Center is managed by American Institutes for Research® (AIR) and draws on their expertise in health communications, health literacy, dissemination, medicine, health services, public health, health disparities, and methods for comparative effectiveness research. Partners include Abt Associates and the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
A Technical Expert Panel provided input to the Translation Center as it developed strategies for communicating findings to target audiences for PCORI research. Its 15 members included patients, practicing clinicians, and experts in health communication, health literacy, and evidence review.
- Period of Performance: August 1, 2016 - July 31, 2022
- Contract Value: $16,140,428
Related Publication: Lessons Learned from Developing Plain Language Summaries of Research Studies
Project Details
^Kristin Carman, PhD, MA and Susan Baseman, DrNP were the original project leads for this study.